Rodgers Exits Lambeau, Perhaps for Last Time
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers walked off Lambeau Field, like he has so many times, with Randall Cobb at his side.
This time was different. This time might have been the last time.
The Packers were stunned 20-16 by the Detroit Lions on Sunday night. Green Bay lost at home in the NFC Championship Game in 2020, lost at home in the divisional playoffs in 2021 and lost at home in a playoff play-in game in 2022.
That’s three strikes. Will Rodgers be out – either at his choosing or the team’s?
At the end of 20-minute press conference, the 39-year-old Rodgers was asked what he’d miss if this, indeed, was his last game with the Packers or even his last game in the NFL.
He paused for 10 seconds and, to deflect the emotion of the moment, made some jokes about reporters.
Finally, “I’ll miss the guys. I’ll miss the fans,” he said, his voice trailing off. “Yeah. Thank you.”
This wasn’t necessarily Rodgers saying good-bye. This was Rodgers recognizing that this might be good-bye.
“It’s a little raw right now,” Rodgers said of the decision that’s ahead. “It’s just a little bit after the game, so I want to take the emotion out of it and have the conversation and see where the organization’s at and see how I feel after some time has passed.”
Free agency starts on March 15, which is when the Packers must be in compliance with the salary cap. So, Rodgers figures to make a decision on his future sometime in the next couple months.
“I’m not going to hold them hostage,” he said, echoing what he said last year, when he announced his return about a week before free agency.
First, Rodgers needs to determine whether he wants to sign on for another grind as the team’s on- and off-the-field leader.
“It’s a feeling,” Rodgers said. “Do I feel like I have anything left to prove to myself? Do I want to go back and gear up for another grind? Or is it time? Is time to step away? Is it time for another voice to be leading this team? I think I need to get away and contemplate those things. Those are real to me.
“I have a lot of pride in what I’ve accomplished in this league but I’m also a realist and I understand where we’re at as a team. We’re a young team, there could be some changes with some of the older guys and it could be time to step away. But I could take some time and say, ‘Hell no, man, I need to get back out there and go on another run.’ But I’ll have to see what it feels like once I’m away from it.”
If Rodgers wants to make another run, will it be in Green Bay? Three consecutive season-ending losses on the home turf, a season not nearly to his standard and the presence of Jordan Love could have the Packers looking to turn the page.
“I think there’s got to be mutual interest on both sides,” he said.
For his part, coach Matt LaFleur said he “absolutely” wanted Rodgers back but the quarterback would make the decision.
If this is it for Rodgers, he’ll go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time. A four-time MVP. A Super Bowl champion. A sure-fire Hall of Famer. He’ll be celebrated for his greatness and scorned for his squandered opportunities.
It is interesting to note that Rodgers replaced the legendary Brett Favre. Symmetry followed. They were both in their sixth NFL season when they won the Super Bowl. They were both 27 when they hoisted the Lombardi.
In 2007, Favre’s overtime interception in the NFC Championship Game against the Giants turned out to be his final pass with the Packers. He retired, unretired and was traded. It’s possible Rodgers’ final pass with the Packers also will be an interception, a wing and a prayer on third-and-10 with the Packers trailing by four points.
Can he leave on such a low note?
“Yeah, that’s a normal thought,” he said, “but, at some point, the carousel comes to a stop and it is time to get off, and I think you kind of know when that is. And that’s what needs to be contemplated. Is it time? Also, what’s the organization doing? That’s part of it, as well.
“But the competitive fire is always going to be there. I don’t think that ever goes away. Sometimes, it gets transferred to other things that might not ever fill that large void. But, like I said, I feel good about what I’ve accomplished in this league and wouldn’t have any regrets walking away. But I’ve got to see what it feels like once I get away from this.”
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